CD Reviews

My life is a Fellini movie!

01/21/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The whimsical, emotive music of such favorites as The Nights of Cabiria and La Dolce Vita jumps from this CD--you'll scan your room for bizarre characters shouting in Itallian! Listening to these works brings home the power of music in film, and the lack of such force in today's cinematic scores. Thank you Nino Rota for a taste of music far from the beaten path."

Pull Up a Campari

Neil Cotiaux | North Canton, Ohio United States | 09/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Those "wild and crazy guys" - the Czech Symphony Orchestra conducted by Derek Wadsworth - forgo the schmaltz and acquit themselves nicely performing Rota's timeless scores. There's plenty of joie de vivre and pathos to go around in these readings. (the glissando in "Amarcord" is just right). A terrific companion piece to this CD is the biography, "The Cinema of Federico Fellini", also available from Amazon, which chronicles the Master's artistic roots; his hot-cold relationship with the Church; obsession with studio recreation vs. on-location shooting; and whether or not Fellini can rightly be called "an intellectual".Solid music, solid reading."

Rota brings life to film, and to the imagination

rballjones | Des Moines, IA USA | 04/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was hoping I could find the soundtrack to Giulietta Degli Spiriti (Juliet of the Spirits) but it is apparently unavailable so I bought this CD. I'm so glad I did. Although the Czech Symphony, performing here, doesn't sound the same as the musicians in Guilietta, the music transcends the delivery--which isn't so bad anyway. This is a great introduction to the wonderful, magnificent music of Nino Rota. He paints a mood like no one else. Whether it be the circus-like sounds of La Strada or the poignant refrains in The Nights of Cabiria, this music elevates and brings life to the imagination. I'm not sure how Fellini's films would fare without Rota but it seems they were a magic combination. I'm also pleased to hear music from films I've not seen. The intro to I Vitelloni, for example, is fabulous; I wish I could hear more of its theme as well as further length treatments of others. Lovers of movie theme music, especially that prior to, say, the 70s, can't go wrong with this one. My favorite is the quirky, sparkling music of Giulietta."

Nino! Fellini!

Lao Che | Central New York | 11/25/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I guess they don't make 'em like they used to? This disc is a great introduction to the collaborative effort of Federico Fellini & Nino Rota. The music moves from the exuberant, care-free joy of La Dolce Vita, to the sadness of La Strada, to the strangely moving pieces from Satyricon & Roma - well, each track contains all those moments and more. I'd give this thing five stars - if only they'd have selected longer tracks of music from each film! As it stands, some are mere fragments, and sadly understated. But all in all, worth a listen - if you end up seeking out the complete, original soundtracks - it will definitely be worth the trip."